Beware: Genetically Modified Foods Are Coming To The UK

Genetically modified (GM) food has been at the centre of many heated debates for the past three decades. Some say it is the only solution for feeding the exploding population and their opponents claim these Franken Foods are nutritionally corrupt, harming our health…

I side with the latter.

In the US, since the 1980s, GM food has flooded supermarket shelves and now almost 90 per cent of US corn and soy is genetically modified. In contrast, the UK and rest of Europe have long been defiantly GM-free.

However, this is all about to change. Earlier this year, the European Parliament slightly relaxed its laws to allow the growth of genetically modified crops, meaning that we may see the first GM crops grown in the UK by 2017.

Genetic modification: Don’t be fooled

This new change of law will almost certainly have Monsanto – one of the world’s largest GM food producers – rubbing its dirty hands together. However, it’s not entirely the breakthrough Monsanto and its cronies were hoping for. Most EU governments remain firmly against genetically modified crops and still have the power to veto any law allowing the production of these crops on their home soil.

While the pro-GM camp claims there is no scientific evidence supporting the idea that these foods are harmful to your health (and the environment), here at the Daily Health we have been telling you over the years about numerous studies proving the exact opposite.

A case in point is a recent study, conducted in 2013, which showed how the consumption of GM foods can increase your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Nearly all GM crops are genetically modified for one reason: to be drenched with Roundup weed killer – coincidentally also manufactured by Monsanto.

The problem is that the weed-killing chemical in Roundup (glyphosate) saturates the crops. When humans consume those crops – either as plants or as ingredients in processed foods – our bodies absorb glyphosate.

That means that if you eat processed foods that include soy, sugar, corn or wheat you’re eating glyphosate and there are all kinds of ways glyphosate could do you harm and increase your risk of Alzheimer’s:

1) Glyphosate inhibits an enzyme the body uses to get rid of toxins. This pumps up inflammation that damages cellular systems in your brain.

2) Glyphosate binds minerals, which impedes the absorption of zinc. Zinc deficiency is one of the key markers for Alzheimer’s.

Currently, a type of maize, called MON 810, is the only GM food cultivated commercially in the EU. However, it is banned in six EU states: Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary and Luxembourg.

Back in 2012, another study, at the University of Caen, showed that rats that were fed Monsanto’s NK603 GM maize and exposed to the company’s top-selling Roundup weed killer were at higher risk of suffering tumours, multiple organ damage and premature death.

Take a step back two years earlier, in 2010, the Organic Foods Report (prepared by the Soil Association – the UK’s counterpart to the United States Department of Agriculture) addressed eight key topics of food cultivation, processing and nutritional content, starting with pesticides (like Monsanto’s Roundup).

The report noted that pesticide use has been associated with a variety of health risks, including cancer, foetal abnormalities, chronic fatigue, and Parkinson’s disease. One study revealed that women with breast cancer are five to nine times more likely to have traces of pesticides in their blood than women who don’t have the cancer.

Adding to that, what’s not so well known is the connection between pesticide use and the antioxidant content of food.

Crops that are stressed by insects produce polyphenolic compounds, which are naturally potent antioxidants. But crops that are treated with pesticides don’t need the natural protection of polyphenolics, and produce less of the compounds.

So when crops are denied pesticides, consumers get a double benefit: better antioxidant nutrition without the residue of chemical pesticides in the food.

I don’t know… the more I learn about GM foods and everything behind them – the so-called ‘pure’ science and the eager scientists who want to see their life’s work being appreciated… and consumed! – the more I’m losing my appetite.

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Disclaimer: Bear in mind the material contained in this article is provided for information purposes only. We are not addressing anyone’s personal situation. Please consult with your own physician before acting on any recommendations contained herein.

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Sources:

“How Agricultural Chemicals and Hospital Stays Contribute to Alzheimer’s” Dr. Joseph Mercola, 10/17/13, mercola.com

“Future farms need to use every trick in the book” New Scientist, 10/11/12, newscientist.com